(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wall construction such as used in frame building construction exterior walls and the like.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior art wall structures have usually employed wooden studding with flat inner and outer surfaces and have located the insulating board or sheathing and the lath and plater or drywall directly against the flat surfaces of the studding. A number of different wall constructions have also been proposed in the past. See for example applicant's Pat. No. 4,031,681 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,118,237 and 3,611,653.
In applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,681 a wall construction is disclosed having scalloped exterior surfaces of studding engaging the exterior wall material. The inner surface of the studding is flat onto which drywall or lath and plaster construction is secured.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,118,237 a partition is shown having studs with many very small grooves in the stud edges thereby decreasing the amount of surface contact with both the inner and outer parts of the wall structure.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,653 a sound attenuation wall partition is disclosed wherein a metal stud system has a series of projecting tabs so that the interior wall is spaced with respect to the studs of the wall. The tabs are provided with foam pads.
The present invention provides an exterior load bearing wall wherein the inner wall material such as lath and plaster or drywall is supported in limited surface contact with the studding allowing circulation of the air between the cavities normally formed by the studs. Additional vent openings are provided in the interior wall material and in the lower plate of the wall so that warm air can circulate within the wall cavity providing a warm wall interior. The limited surface contact between the inner and exterior walls results from the formation of a plurality of closely spaced transverse scallops in the studding. The exterior insulating board, foam and siding therefore remain at the exterior temperature with the inner heated wall being at room temperature.